Man Indicted for Straw Purchasing and Making False Statements
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Woodbridge man with straw purchasing two firearms in November 2016 and then giving those firearms to a Boston man.
According to the indictment, Carl Napper, 26, was allegedly paid $250 to straw purchase two firearms on behalf of a Boston man, who then transported the firearms back to Boston. One of these firearms was recovered in Boston a month later after having been used in a shooting incident.
Napper is charged with making false statements on an ATF form in connection with the purchase of the firearms, and transferring the firearms to a resident of another state). If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of conviction. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas U. Murphy II and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Trigger are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-230.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
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